His main research interests are in clinical trial development, prognostic markers, radiation sensitizers, and secondary cancers. He is an active clinician and specializes in the radiotherapeutic management of gynecological cancers, breast cancers, and lymphoma.
Dr. Gaffney is interested in clinical trials that improve survival and quality of life for cancer patients. He serves as a co-Chair for the National Cancer Institute Gynecologic Cancer Steering Committee and previously was chair of the Gynecologic Working Group for the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG). He is a past chair of the American Brachytherapy Society and the Cervix Cancer Research Network. He is active in the Gynecologic Cancer Intergroup, a worldwide organization of clinical trial groups. He also chairs the Clinical Research Executive Committee at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and serves as a Senior Editor for the International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer, Gynecologic Oncology, and the American Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Brachytherapy.